Violet Evergardenis the latest project from Kyoto Animation. The series has a lot of hype behind it since it’s the only story to have won the Grand Prize at the Kyoto Animation Awards – and if they think the story is great, then fans will be foaming at the mouth!

The opening episode is beautiful beyond words from both a visual and story aspect. A team of 13 KyoAni animators banded together to create an episode that rivals theatrical films in terms of fluidity and quality. Everything in Violet Evergarden screams passion – even the grim of the cast’s faces!

We all know KyoAni is capable of producing wonderful eye candy, but it’s great to see that the introduction chapter is able to keep up.

Violet, our heroine, is broken former soldier that represses her emotions. She doesn’t know how to interact with others outside of the battlefield and requires orders for everything she does – which leads to a gut-wrenching moment during the closing moments. Violet is the lynchpin, and flashback moments with Gilbert will no doubt build on her character.

While Violet and the world of Leidenschaftlin are interesting, it still moves at a lethargic pace that KyoAni detractors hate. So far, it looks like Violet’s quest to discovering the meaning of love with center around quiet character interaction.

In typical KyoAni fashion, the first episode is packed with symbolism and thematic clues for eagle-eyed viewers. For instance, the location names of Leiden (suffering) and Leidenschaftlish (passion) encompass the feelings Violet and her crew will undergo. Violet’s cute tick of bitting everything also has a meaning – not only is she a “war dog,” it shows her lack of communication skills with the world.

It’s only the debut episode, but Violet Evergarden has the makings of being a very special show. Depending on your region, you can simulcast Violet Evergarden on Netflix.